This invention relates to an improved snowball maker. In the prior art of such articles, U.S. Pat. No. 3,836,308 discloses a snowball maker having two opposed semi-spherical shells that interfit to form snow engaged between them into a ball. The shells interfit for a limited and relatively small distance and hence provide only limited compression of snow. The amusement device of U.S. Pat. No. 3,289,246 has a pair of opposed brick-shaped molds that are brought into face-to-face abutment, and hence also provides only limited compression of the snow, sand or other material within the molds. It is also known to provide a device for molding popcorn balls as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 436,818, and to provide an ice cream disher in accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 1,323,582. Neither of these devices, however, provides significant compaction of the material engaged between the shells which each employs.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a snowball maker which provides significant compression of snow and hence which can form a well-compacted ball of snow.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a snowball maker which forms the ball in a specified one of two interfitting shells. The attainment of this object minimizes the likelihood that a snowball will stick to both shells so as to break apart upon separating the shells. Instead, each snow ball remains whole.
Other objects of the invention are to provide a snowball maker suited for low-cost manufacture, which is easy and is safe to use, and from which a finished snowball can readily be removed.
Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.